Communication method, communication system, transmission method, transmission apparatus, receiving method and receiving apparatus

1. A communication method of transmitting video data, using a system for transmitting the video data including a predetermined number of bits as a unit from a source device to a sink device in sync with pixel clock and using individual first transmission lines for respective color data or for luminance and color-difference signals and a second transmission line for the pixel clock, the communication method comprising: preparing video data for three-dimensional display including the video data for a left eye and the video data for a right eye, as the video data transmitted from the source device to the sink device; forming the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye including the predetermined number of bits per pixel, respectively; adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel, the other video data including the predetermined number of bits, wherein the adding includes arranging the one of the video data and the other video data of one pixel, respectively, as a first half and a second half of a transmission period of one pixel; forming the video data of one pixel including twice the predetermined number of bits and transmitting the video data at a timing in sync with the pixel clock; and transmitting the video data for three-dimensional display from the source device to the sink device on the individual first transmission lines and the pixel clock on the second transmission line, the pixel clock having a rate set in accordance with the transmission period, wherein an indication of whether or not the video data is intended for three-dimensional display is transmitted over a display data channel of an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), wherein the video data formed by adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel is transmitted from the source device to the sink device via a single HDMI cable.

2. A communication system comprising: a source device and a sink device to which video data including a predetermined number of bits as a unit is transmitted from the source device in sync with pixel clock and using individual first transmission lines for respective color data or for luminance and color-difference signals and a second transmission line for the pixel clock, the source device including a video data preparing unit configured to prepare video data for a left eye and video data for a right eye as the three-dimensional display video data, respectively including the predetermined number of bits per pixel; a combining unit configured to add one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye, which are prepared in the video data preparing unit, to the other thereof per pixel, in which the one of the video data and the other video data of one pixel, respectively, are arranged as a first half and a second half of a transmission period of one pixel, forming the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits per pixel; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits per pixel, which is combined in the combining unit, to the individual first transmission lines in sync with the pixel clock on the second transmission line, the pixel clock having a rate set in accordance with the transmission period; and the sink device including a receiving unit configured to detect the video data received through the individual first transmission lines by twice the predetermined number of bits arranged in transmission periods of respective pixels in sync with the pixel clock transmitted on the second transmission line; a separating unit configured to separate the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits received with the receiving unit into first-half bits and second-half bits, forming the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye by one pixel; and a display processing unit configured to perform display processing individually on the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye, wherein an indication of whether or not the video data is intended for three-dimensional display is transmitted over a display data channel of an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), wherein the video data formed by adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel is transmitted from the source device to the sink device via a single HDMI cable.

3. A communication system according to claim 2 , wherein: in the case where the sink device may not support the three-dimensional display, the separating unit retrieves the video data including the first-half bits or second-half bits from the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits per one pixel received in the receiving unit, and the display processing unit performs display processing on the video data including the predetermined number of bits per pixel retrieved in the separating unit.

4. A method of transmitting video data, using a system for transmitting the video data including a predetermined number of bits as a unit to a sink device in sync with pixel clock and using individual first transmission lines for respective color data or for luminance and color-difference signals and a second transmission line for the pixel clock, the method comprising: preparing video data for three-dimensional display including the video data for a left eye and the video data for a right eye, as the video data transmitted to the sink device; forming the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye including the predetermined number of bits per pixel, respectively; adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel, the other video data including the predetermined number of bits, wherein the adding includes arranging the one of the video data and the other video data of one pixel, respectively, as a first half and a second half of a transmission period of one pixel; and forming the video data of one pixel including twice the predetermined number of bits and transmitting the video data on the individual first transmission lines at a timing in sync with the pixel clock on the second transmission line, the pixel clock having a rate set in accordance with the transmission period, wherein an indication of whether or not the video data is intended for three-dimensional display is transmitted over a display data channel of an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), wherein the video data formed by adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel is transmitted from the source device to the sink device via a single HDMI cable.

5. A transmission apparatus to transmit video data including a predetermined number of bits as a unit from a source device to a sink device in sync with pixel clock and using individual first transmission lines for respective color data and a second transmission line for the pixel clock, comprising: a video data preparing unit configured to prepare video data for a left eye and video data for a right eye as the three-dimensional display video data including the predetermined number of bits per pixel, respectively; a combining unit configured to add one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye, which are prepared in the video data preparing unit, to the other thereof per pixel, in which the one of the video data and the other video data of one pixel, respectively, are arranged as a first half and a second half of a transmission period of one pixel, forming the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits per pixel; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits per pixel that is combined in the combining unit to the individual first transmission lines in sync with the pixel clock on the second transmission line, the pixel clock having a rate set in accordance with the transmission period, wherein an indication of whether or not the video data is intended for three-dimensional display is transmitted over a display data channel of an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), wherein the video data formed by adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel is transmitted from the source device to the sink device via a single HDMI cable.

6. A transmission apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the pixel clock rate for the video data transmitted from the transmission unit is set twice the frequency of transmitting the video data not for three-dimensional display.

7. A method of receiving video data, using a system for transmitting the video data including a predetermined number of bits as a unit in sync with pixel clock and using individual first transmission lines for respective color data or for luminance and color-difference signals and a second transmission line for the pixel clock, the method comprising: separating the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits arranged in transmission periods of respective pixels, each of the transmission periods including video data for a left eye including the predetermined number of bits added to video data for a right eye including the predetermined number of bits arranged, respectively, as a first half and a second half of the transmission period, received in sync with the pixel clock into first-half video data having the predetermined number of bits and second-half video data having the predetermined number of bits, the video data transmitted on the individual first transmission lines received in sync with the pixel clock transmitted on the second transmission line, the pixel clock having a rate set in accordance with the transmission period, and displaying individually one of the separated data as the video data for the left eye and the other thereof as the video data for the right eye to obtain three-dimensional display, wherein an indication of whether or not the video data is intended for three-dimensional display is transmitted over a display data channel of an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), wherein the video data formed by adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel is transmitted from the source device to the sink device via a single HDMI cable.

8. A receiving apparatus to receive video data, using a system of transmitting the video data including a predetermined number of bits as a unit in sync with pixel clock and using individual first transmission lines for respective color data or for luminance and color-difference signals and a second transmission line for the pixel clock, comprising: a receiving unit configured to detect the video data received through the transmission line in sync with the pixel clock by twice the predetermined number of bits arranged in transmission periods of respective pixels, each of the transmission periods including video data for a left eye including the predetermined number of bits added to video data for a right eye including the predetermined number of bits arranged, respectively, as a first half and a second half of the transmission period, the received video data transmitted on the individual first transmission lines in sync with the pixel clock transmitted on the second transmission line, the pixel clock having a rate set in accordance with the transmission period; a separating unit configured to separate the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits received in the receiving unit into first-half bits and second-half bits, forming the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye by one pixel; and a display processing unit configured to perform display processing individually on the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye, wherein an indication of whether or not the video data is intended for three-dimensional display is transmitted over a display data channel of an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), wherein the video data formed by adding one of the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye to the other thereof per pixel is transmitted from the source device to the sink device via a single HDMI cable.

9. A receiving apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the separating unit retrieves the video data including the first-half bits or second-half bits from the video data including twice the predetermined number of bits per one pixel received in the receiving unit, and the display processing unit performs display processing on the video data including the predetermined number of bits per pixel retrieved in the separating unit.

10. A receiving apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the display processing unit performs display processing on the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye displayed with one display unit.

11. A receiving apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the display processing unit performs display processing on the video data for the left eye and the video data for the right eye displayed with two display units individually.